Gun perforator



lm i3, 19. w. R. ATwooD 2,439,643

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` GUN PERFORATOR Filed sept. e. 1945 4 sheets-sheet s 0 w T A R w GUNPERFORATOR Filed Sept. 6, 1945 4 sheets-sheet 4.

Patented pr. 13, 1948 GUN PERFORATOR y Wilmer-th R. Atwood, Odessa, Tex.

Application September 6, 1945, Serial No. 614,756

3 claims. l

My present invention relates to new and useful improvements in gunperforators for oil wells and the like whereby to facilitate theextraction of oil from dllerent strata.

An important object of the present invention is to generally improveperforator guns of this type and to provide simplified means foroperating the same, thereby reducing the initial costof the gun, aswellas the cost of operation in actual practice.

A further object of the invention is to provide electric firing meansfor the bullets discharged from the gun and also to prevent theexplosion of the powder in the gun perforator from kicking back andcausing damage to the electric mechanism for firing the cap of the gun.

Another object of the invention is to provide ring means for the bulletsat longitudinally .spaced intervals of the gun and including a verticalpassage in the gun to subject a ring charge for each of the bullets tothe action of a ring cap to simultaneously fire the bullets.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an apparatus ofthis character of simple and practical construction, which is emcientand reliable in operation, relatively inexpensive to manufacture andotherwise well adapted for the purposes for which the same is intended.

Other objects and advantages reside in the details of construction andoperation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings forming part hereof, wherein likenumerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view of the gun showing thelongitudinally spaced barrel for firing the bullets and the ring cap inlthe upper portion of the gun oppositely connected thereto.

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view of the plugfor the firing cap and the kickback check for the exposed charge.

Figure 2a is a fragmentary vertical sectional View of the ring pin forthe ring cap.

Figure 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of one of the barrels and theplug for holding the firing charge for the bullet.

Figure 4 isa fragmentary sectional view taken substantially on a line -dof Figure 1.

Figure 5 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view of one of the ringtubes communicating with theexplosive charge for the bullet. f

. Figure 6 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view of the gunperforator illustrating a modied form of electric ring device.

Figure 7 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view of thecontact for one of the electrodes for the explosive charge.

Figure 8 is an end elevational view of the holder for the electrode, and

Figure 9 is an end elevational view of the tube providing communicationbetween the ring cap and the explosive charge.

Referring now to the drawings in detail and rst with respect to the formof the invention illustrated in Figures 1 to 5 inclusive, the numeral 5designates the body of the gun generally, which is cf `general solidcylindrical form, having an electric Wire rope socket 6 threaded in itsupper end and to which an electric wire lrope socket and electricwireline or cable (not shown) or the like, may be attached for loweringthe gun in the well casing.

The body 5 is a formed with a longitudinally extending passage 1 in theupper end of which a tube 8 is threaded having a hexagonal-head 9 at itsupper end for receiving a wrench to thread the tube in the body.

' A firing cap l0 is mounted `in the upper end of the tube B having a,flange II at its upper end to support the cap in position in the tube. Aring pin I2 is connected to an' electric wire I3 extending upwardlythrough a bore Id in the plug 6 to a suitable mechanism for actuatingthe pin I2 to re the cap I 0.

The lower portion of the tube 8 is internally threaded for receivingupperand lower threaded plugs l5 and IE respectively, the plugs beingarranged in vertically spaced relation in the tube 8 and the opposed endof the lower plug I6 is adapted to be closed by a ball-check Il normallyseated on the upper end of the plug I6 and responsive to back pressureresulting from the firing ofthe gun to move the ball upwardly intoposition for closing the plug I 5' as shown by the dotted line in Figure2 of the drawings.

The lower plug I6 is formed with inclined ports I3 below the ball Il toprovide free communication through the tube 8 from the firing cap to thepassage 'l below the tube.

The body 5 at vertically spaced intervals is provided with plugs I9 and20 threaded in diametrlcally opposite sides of the body. I'he outer endof the plug I9 is retained in position by a sealing plug 2l threaded inthe body and the inner end 'of the plug-I9 is formed with a chamber 22adapted to contain an explosive charge 23.

The body 5 is formed with an annular channel 2e surrounding the innerend of the plug I9 and mmunicatingwith the vertical passage 'i in the idiametrically opposite sides to provide comunication between the chamber22 and the lannel 24 both above and below the plug.

'Ihe plug 20 is formed with a. bore 26 forming barrel which extendsentirely through the plug 1d opens at one side of the body 5. A chamberis formed in the body 5 in communication with Le barrel 26 in which abullet 28 is retained by a Et metal disc 29 soldered or otherwisesuitably selred to the rear end o the bullet 2B, the disc 29 :ingpositioned at the inner end of the plug l. 'Ihe disc 29 is of soft metaland is formed its rear face with a circular score line 30 of a ametercorresponding to the diameter ofthe illet 28 and in alignment with theside edges lereof as indicated in Figure 3 of the drawings, ne center ofthe disc 29 defined by the score line rming a plug closing the adjacentend of the iamber 22.

In the operation of the device the gun is lowered l the well casing to adesired depth after the `rugs i9, 20 and 2l have been placed in position1d plugs I9 and 29 loaded with a firing charge i and bullet 28,respectively, in the manner as lustrated in Figure 3 of the drawings.The ring pin i2 is then actuated to fire the cap lil rid by means ofwhich the charge 23'is fired by ay of the communicating passage l, theannular nannel 2d and the tubes 25 carried by the plug i9.

The annular channel 2B provides a by-path for ach of the plugs i9whereby all of the charges irried at vertically spaced intervals by thebody are simultaneously nred.

The firing of the charge 23 removes the center f the disc 29 attached tothe bullet 23 at the :ore line 30 and projects the bullet 28 from thearrel 26 in a manner to perforate the casing in 'hich the gun islowered.

In Figures 6 to 9 inclusive, I have illustrated modied form of electricfiring mechanism 'hich includes a pair of electrodes 3| secured in hetubes 32 threaded in diametrically opposite ides of the plug 33, theadjacent ends of the lectrodes 3| being spaced apart in the chamber lfor the ring charge 35 whereby to provide a park gap for firing thecharge. 'Ihe outer ends f the electrodes 3i are formed with contactheads 6 adapted for engagement with similar contact leads 3l on the endsof an electric wire 38 exending longitudinally through the passage 3S ,fthe body of the gun. The electric wires 38 are losed in an insulationhousing dll.

The upper end of the wire 38 at the upper end f the body of the gun isalso formed with a conact head di to provide contact for a circuit wireCJI :arried by the electric wire rope socket (not `hown) adapted forthreading in the upper end if the body for leading upwardly through theelectric wire rope socket and electric wire line or :ab1e.

Accordingly an electric current passing through ;he wires 38 will causea spark between the elec- .rodes 3| whereby to fire the charge 35 forpropeling the bullet in the manner as heretofore exilained.

It is believed that the details of construction, nanner of operation andadvantages of the device will be readily understood from the` foregoingwithout further detailed explanation.

However it will be apparent that various :hanges in the construction andarrangement of the parts may be resorted to without departing from thespirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

Having described my invention what I claim is:

1. A gun perfcrator comprising a body having a vertical passage, a pairoi.' plugs threaded in diametrically opposite sides of the body, one ofsaid plugs having a bore forming a barrel, a lateral passage between theinner ends of the plugs adapted to receive a bullet positioned at theinner end of the barrel, the other of said plugs having a powder chamberdisposed transversely of the body and intersecting said verticalpassage, a soft metal disk closing the inner end of the chamber andhaving a severable section attached to the rear end of the bullet toretain the bullet in the barrel, said disk forming a closure between thepowder chamber and lateral passage, a vertical passage in the last namedplug providing communication between the powder chamber and the verticalrst named passage, and means operable from a remote part of the verticalpassage to iire a charge in the powder chamber.

2. In a gun perforator, a body of substantially circular cross sectionadapted to be lowered into a well casing and formed of sections, one ofsaid sections having an upwardly opening internally threaded socketadapted to receive a threaded extension of a section, disposedthereabove, said section being provided with a flash passage extendinglongitudinally thereof, said rst mentioned body section being providedwith a plurality of bores extending diametrically therethrough and eachhaving enlarged ends and a restricted portion connecting said enlargedends, said restricted bore portions each forming a chamber, a projectilemounted in each of said chambers, each of said bores having one of itsenlarged ends provided with a detachably mounted barrel having a borealigning with the chamber thereof, a plug detachably mounted in theopposite enlarged end of each bore and intersecting the ash passagethereof, said plugs each having a chamber containing an explosive formedtherein and disposed longitudinally of the bore, a

frangible closure between each explosive chamber and its associatedprojectile chamber, said frangible .closure being connected to theassociated projectile thereof, and said plugs each having diametricalpassages communicating at their outer ends with the i'lash passage andopening into the explosive chamber whereby a detonating name may passthrough the flash passage and the diametrical passages of the 'plugs forigniting the explosive charges of each of the chambers substantiallysimultaneously.

3. In a gun perforator, a body adapted to be lowered into a well casingand having a transverse bore extending therethrough provided withenlarged ends and a restricted portion connecting said ends, saidrestricted portion forming a chamber and being adapted to receiveaprojectile, a barrel detachably mounted in one of saidA enlarged endsand having a bore aligning with said chamber and forming a barrel forthe projectile, a plug detachably mounted in the other end of saidtransverse bore and provided with a chamber containing an explosivecharge, said explosive chamber opening toward the projectile chamber, afrangible closure between said chambers connected to the projectile, anelectrical conductor extending longitudinally through said body andhaving one end adapted to be connected to a source of electric currentand the other end adapted to be connected to a ground, said conductorhaving spaced portions disposed REFERENCES CITED The followingreferences are of record in the file of this patent:

Number UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Aloi June 4, 1940 Ricou Dec. 24,1940 Zachokke Dec. 16, 1941 Collins Sept. 15, 1942 McDonald Aug. 24,1943 Johnson Nov. 23, 1943 Aloi June 13, 1944 Lampel Apr. 29, 1947

